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The Story Behind RELEX’s Leadership Framework 

Jun 6, 2025 • 6 min

In the heart of RELEX’s continued growth story lies a fundamental question that many scaling companies grapple with: How do you maintain the essence of what makes your leadership culture special while building the structure needed to support hundreds of leaders across the globe? For Amy Moran-Moberg, Learning & Leadership Development Director, and Päivi Riesen, Leadership Development Practice Manager, this question became the driving force behind one of RELEX’s most significant internal initiatives – the development of a comprehensive Leadership Framework. 

Two Paths, One Vision

Amy and Päivi’s journeys to RELEX reflect the diverse tapestry of experiences that strengthens the company’s leadership development approach. Amy’s path wasn’t linear – shaped by curiosity, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to wellbeing as a foundation for sustainable impact. “I didn’t set out to become a leader,” Amy reflects. “I grew into it by consistently being the one asking, ‘How can we make this better – for people?’ That mindset – and a deep willingness to serve – has opened doors for me.” 

Päivi’s trajectory tells a complementary story of progression from L&D consultancy and HR roles to specialized leadership development. “Having encountered many different types of leaders throughout my career, I came to deeply understand the monumental impact leadership has on employee engagement and organizational success,” she explains. Her experience across fast-paced organizations of different sizes and industries provided the perfect foundation for understanding RELEX’s unique challenges. 

Having encountered many different types of leaders throughout my career, I came to deeply understand the monumental impact leadership has on employee engagement and organizational success.

What unites both women is something deeper than their professional expertise – it’s their shared belief in the transformative power of intentional leadership development. “What drives me – professionally and personally – is a deep belief in the power of learning and leadership to unlock potential, shape performance, and create lasting impact,” Amy explains, while Päivi echoes this sentiment: “What truly energizes me is helping leaders gain confidence and clarity in their roles, so they can lead with purpose and authenticity.” 

The Human Side of Leadership Development

Beyond their professional roles, both Amy and Päivi bring rich personal perspectives that inform their work. Amy finds her “me time” through meditation, running, hot yoga, and community volunteering – practices that ground her approach to sustainable leadership. Päivi balances her demanding career with family life, traveling with her spouse and three teenage children, taking long forest walks with their “lovely and mischievous shiba,” and clearing her mind through boxing and gym sessions. 

These personal practices aren’t just hobbies – they’re integral to how they understand leadership. Amy’s emphasis on wellbeing as “not an afterthought, but as a foundation for sustainable impact” directly influences how she approaches leadership development at RELEX. Similarly, Päivi’s focus on balance and family time reflects her understanding that effective leaders need to be whole people, not just professional performers.

I expected some hesitation, but instead found a strong willingness to reflect, challenge assumptions, and co-create something meaningful.

Building Something Together

When RELEX recognized the need for a shared leadership framework, it wasn’t just about creating a corporate document. “The Leadership Framework was inspired by a clear need for shared expectations around leadership at RELEX,” Amy explains. “As the company continues on its trajectory of growth, it became increasingly important to define what great leadership looks like at RELEX – so we can support leaders more consistently, develop talent intentionally, and build a culture that scales with us.” 

The development process itself embodied the collaborative culture that RELEX is known for. Amy approached the initiative with both confidence and humility: “I started with the assumption that I could bring the value of 25 years of experience in leadership development – and that I had a lot to learn, being new to both the industry and RELEX’s culture.” This balanced perspective proved crucial as the framework took shape through extensive stakeholder involvement. 

What made the process particularly meaningful was the unexpected level of engagement from RELEX leaders. “What surprised me – in the best way – was how openly RELEXians engaged with the process,” Amy notes. “I expected some hesitation, but instead found a strong willingness to reflect, challenge assumptions, and co-create something meaningful.” Päivi experienced this same enthusiasm: “What’s been pleasantly surprising is the great attitude our leaders have shown toward the project; they’ve been genuinely positive, engaged, and have shared valuable, constructive feedback.”

The Challenge of Balance

Perhaps the most complex aspect of developing the framework was achieving the right equilibrium between structure and flexibility. As Amy describes it: “One of the more challenging aspects was striking the right balance between clarity and flexibility – creating a framework that’s specific enough to guide behavior, yet adaptable enough to work across different teams, functions, and leadership styles.” 

Päivi experienced this same challenge: “The framework needed to offer clear guidance and a common language around leadership expectations, while still giving leaders the freedom to adapt their approach to different teams and cultural settings. Getting this balance right took a lot of listening, revising, and teamwork, and that process is still ongoing.” 

This ongoing nature of the work reflects both women’s understanding that leadership development isn’t a destination but a continuous journey. The framework they’ve created isn’t static – it’s designed to evolve with RELEX as the company grows and faces new challenges.

Philosophy in Action

Both Amy and Päivi bring distinct but harmonious leadership philosophies that shaped the framework’s development. Amy defines effective leadership as “creating clarity, building trust, and enabling growth – in others and in yourself. It’s not about having all the answers, but about being intentional in how you show up, make decisions, and develop the people around you.” 

Päivi’s perspective complements this beautifully: “Effective leadership is about clarity, setting an example to others, and adaptability. A great leader sets clear expectations, listens actively, and adjusts their approach to support their team’s unique strengths and challenges.” 

These philosophies aren’t just theoretical – they’re lived experiences that both women bring to their daily work at RELEX. Amy’s approach is grounded in her belief that “leadership skills can be taught through self-awareness, feedback, and practice,” while Päivi emphasizes the importance of “putting your ego aside and listening more than you speak” – advice that has stuck with her throughout her career.

Success means the Leadership Framework becomes a natural part of how leadership happens every day at RELEX, not just some document sitting on a shelf, but a living tool that helps guide decisions, conversations, and growth in our teams.

Measuring Success

For both Amy and Päivi, success isn’t measured in completion but in integration. “Success, for me, is when the Leadership Framework becomes something leaders use, not just something they know about,” Amy explains. The framework should show up naturally in how people give feedback, make decisions, grow their teams, and hold themselves accountable. 

Päivi envisions success in equally practical terms: “Success means the Leadership Framework becomes a natural part of how leadership happens every day at RELEX, not just some document sitting on a shelf, but a living tool that helps guide decisions, conversations, and growth in our teams.” 

Both women understand that the ultimate measure of success will be visible in the everyday experiences of RELEX leaders and their teams – more confident leaders, more engaged teams, and fewer issues requiring escalation. They plan to track this through feedback and pulse surveys, always keeping the human impact at the center of their measurement approach.   

Looking Forward

As RELEX continues its growth trajectory toward 2030, both Amy and Päivi see the Leadership Framework as a living, evolving tool. “As RELEX grows, the Leadership Framework needs to be flexible and scalable, supporting leaders at different stages of development and in changing situations,” Päivi notes. She envisions it evolving to include both digital and in-person learning, coaching, and data-driven insights. 

The Future Leaders Program particularly excites Päivi: “What excites me most is the opportunity to nurture emerging talent and shape the future of leadership at RELEX. Preparing the new leaders means equipping them with not just skills, but also a leadership mindset grounded in our values – curiosity, collaboration, fairness and courage.” 

The Ripple Effect

What emerges from conversations with Amy and Päivi is something larger than a leadership framework – it’s a testament to what happens when experienced professionals bring both expertise and humility to collaborative work. Amy’s deep commitment to justice and equity, combined with Päivi’s focus on fairness and equal opportunities, has created something that goes beyond skill development to culture transformation. 

Their work exemplifies Amy’s belief in “the ripple effects they create in their teams and communities.” The Leadership Framework they’ve developed together isn’t just about making individual leaders more effective – it’s about scaling the trust-based, autonomous culture that makes RELEX special. 

As Amy puts it, effective leadership development is “always co-created – it works best when it’s built with the people it’s meant to serve.” In Amy and Päivi’s collaborative approach to building RELEX’s Leadership Framework, we see this philosophy in action, creating not just a tool for leaders, but a reflection of the very culture they’re working to nurture and scale.

The Leadership Framework represents one of many initiatives supporting RELEX’s strategic growth plans. Through the dedicated work of teams like Amy and Päivi’s, RELEX continues to build the leadership capabilities needed to achieve its 2030 vision while maintaining the culture and values that make it a special place to work. 

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